A day in the life of a Primary Education student

Published: February 2, 2021

Hi everyone, long time no see! I hope you've all had a great festive season and are staying safe and healthy.

Although we're currently in unprecedented circumstances, I'm sure we'll all get through it together. Since we can't do face to face lectures at the moment, I wanted to share my experiences and the sorts of things I do in a day in lockdown. Prepare to be blown away by how uneventful my day is 

A bit of context first... we were supposed to be on a block teaching placement from the start of January, but due to the current situation with COVID, some schools have had to postpone the arranged placements for us. But it's always important to look on the bright side, and personally, I have been able to use this time well to build up my subject knowledge and to relax.

For me, the day starts at about 9:00, or 9:30 if you include my morning dose of social media scrolling! Following a quick breakfast (with coffee of course) and a brush of the teeth, I'm on the laptop, ready to do some work.

Recently I've been trying different CPD and online courses which help me to develop skills and improve my teaching practice. I'm currently looking at Asian Maths and how to apply it to teaching practice universally - a really interesting course that I'd suggest you have a look at. Here's a picture of some questions on variation theory - although it looks really easy, it's definitely worthwhile to recap and make sure that you can give correct answers and reasoning.

After lunch, I tend to have a little chill before getting back to work. It's always good to take small breaks during study - do some stretches, bake something or watch an episode of your favourite show - as long as it makes you feel good.

Getting back to work, I like to spend some time planning lessons which I could take into placements. If you plan on doing this, make sure you keep a copy of the national curriculum to ensure your lessons are relevant and engaging. It's also important to be proactive and organised, making the most of your independent study time that isn't occupied with completing assignments. Side note: don't leave assignments to the last minute, it only causes extra stress, and we don't want that!

As I've said in previous blog posts, I love many genres of music. But while I'm studying, I tend to go for an acoustic or chilled playlist as opposed to K-Pop music, which would result in me attempting to sing in Korean (emphasis on attempting ) and getting no work done.

If you didn't already know, BBC Bitesize is an amazing interactive website for students, parents and teachers alike, providing plenty of useful resources to improve subject knowledge. As opposed to reading textbooks for hours on end, learning with Bitesize is engaging yet challenging. This week I've been brushing up on my Science knowledge (Human Body in particular), and as it turns out, I still have lots to learn!

Similar to being on campus, I choose to finish my studying at about 3 or 4pm and take plenty of time to wind down. The difference is that I don't have to get the metro back home, I can just lie in bed and watch Netflix!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about a day in my lockdown life. Remember to take regular breaks and look after yourself and your mental health. Here is a manatee for your enjoyment 

That's all for today, but remember to keep an eye out for the next one! 

Ryan Chung
Primary Education with QTS

Topic: Course